Putin says Russia is in a fight for the existence of the state

 https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-734294

Putin has framed Moscow's year-long invasion as a defensive pushback against what he sees as a hostile West bent on expanding into territories historically ruled by Russia.

"So for us this is not a geopolitical task, but a task of the survival of Russian statehood, creating conditions for the future development of the country and our children," he said during a visit to an aviation factory in Buryatia, some 4,400 km (2,750 miles) east of Moscow.